Ferrante Gonzaga
Encyclopedia
Ferrante I Gonzaga was an Italian
condottiero, a member of the House of Gonzaga
and the founder of the branch of the Gonzaga of Guastalla
.
, the third son of Francesco II Gonzaga and Isabella d'Este
. At the age of sixteen he was sent to the court of Spain as a page to the future emperor Charles V
, to whom Ferrante remained faithful for his whole life. In 1527 he took part in the Sack of Rome
and attended Charles' triumphant coronation at Bologna in 1530: at the death of the conestable Charles of Bourbon
(1527) he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Imperial army in Italy.
He defended Naples
from the assault of the French troops under Odet of Foix, Viscount of Lautrec, and obtained the surrender of the Republic of Florence
. For this feat Pope Clement VII
, a member of the Medici
who had been ousted from that city, named him papal governor of Benevento
. Again for Charles V, he fought against the Turks at Tunis
in 1535 and Algiers
in 1543 with a contingent of 3,000 cavalry. He served Charles as Viceroy
of Sicily (1535-1546), accompanying the Emperor to Germany in 1543 and fighting the resolute campaign that enforced the Treaty of Crépy. He then served as Governor of the Duchy of Milan (1546-1554).
In 1534 Ferrante married Isabella di Capua, who brought him the fiefdom
s of Molfetta
and Giovinazzo
. In 1539 he bought the countship of Guastalla
, on the left bank of the Po
for 22,280 golden scudi from Countess Ludovica Torelli
; it was in part a strategic purchase, for Guastalla lies near Ferrara, which Charles wished to take from the Este
.
Ferrante's villa near Milan, La Gualtiera, is now known as La Simonetta. Ferrante rebuilt it in the 1550s, commissioning the services of the Tuscan architect Domenico Giuntallodi of Prato. Ferrante was a patron and protector of the sculptor and medallist Leone Leoni
, who executed a bronze medal for him about 1555, with a reverse that depicts Hercules with upraised club besting the Nemean Lion and the legend TV NE CEDE MALIS, "You do not yield to evil", alluding to his acquittal after indictment for misappropriation of funds and corruption. His son Cesare commissioned from Leone a more public monument from Leone, a bronze Triumph of Ferrante Gonzaga over Envy, (1564), which stands in Piazza Roma, Guastalla. Like all the Gonzaga, Ferrante was a patron of tapestry-makers: a series Fructus Belli ("the Fruits of War") was woven for him, and a lighter series of Putti.
He died in Brussels
from a fall from a horse and battle fatigue received at the Battle of St. Quentin
. He was buried in the sacristy of the cathedral of Milan.
Ferrante was succeeded in Guastalla by his son Cesare
.
He was the ambassador to Henry VIII of England
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
condottiero, a member of the House of Gonzaga
House of Gonzaga
The Gonzaga family ruled Mantua in Northern Italy from 1328 to 1708.-History:In 1433, Gianfrancesco I assumed the title of Marquis of Mantua, and in 1530 Federico II received the title of Duke of Mantua. In 1531, the family acquired the Duchy of Monferrato through marriage...
and the founder of the branch of the Gonzaga of Guastalla
Guastalla
Guastalla is a town and comune in the province of Reggio Emilia in Emilia-Romagna, Italy.-Geography:Guastalla is situated in the Po Valley, and lies on the banks of the Po River...
.
Biography
He was born in MantuaMantua
Mantua is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family, made it one of the main artistic, cultural and notably musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole...
, the third son of Francesco II Gonzaga and Isabella d'Este
Isabella d'Este
Isabella d'Este was Marchesa of Mantua and one of the leading women of the Italian Renaissance as a major cultural and political figure. She was a patron of the arts as well as a leader of fashion, whose innovative style of dressing was copied by women throughout Italy and at the French court...
. At the age of sixteen he was sent to the court of Spain as a page to the future emperor Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
, to whom Ferrante remained faithful for his whole life. In 1527 he took part in the Sack of Rome
Sack of Rome (1527)
The Sack of Rome on 6 May 1527 was a military event carried out by the mutinous troops of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in Rome, then part of the Papal States...
and attended Charles' triumphant coronation at Bologna in 1530: at the death of the conestable Charles of Bourbon
Charles III, Duke of Bourbon
Charles III, Duke of Bourbon was a French military leader, the Count of Montpensier and Dauphin of Auvergne. He commanded the Imperial troops of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in what became known as the Sack of Rome in 1527, where he was killed.-Biography:Charles was born at Montpensier...
(1527) he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Imperial army in Italy.
He defended Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
from the assault of the French troops under Odet of Foix, Viscount of Lautrec, and obtained the surrender of the Republic of Florence
Republic of Florence
The Republic of Florence , or the Florentine Republic, was a city-state that was centered on the city of Florence, located in modern Tuscany, Italy. The republic was founded in 1115, when the Florentine people rebelled against the Margraviate of Tuscany upon Margravine Matilda's death. The...
. For this feat Pope Clement VII
Pope Clement VII
Clement VII , born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, was a cardinal from 1513 to 1523 and was Pope from 1523 to 1534.-Early life:...
, a member of the Medici
Medici
The House of Medici or Famiglia de' Medici was a political dynasty, banking family and later royal house that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici in the Republic of Florence during the late 14th century. The family originated in the Mugello region of the Tuscan countryside,...
who had been ousted from that city, named him papal governor of Benevento
Benevento
Benevento is a town and comune of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, 50 km northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill 130 m above sea-level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino and Sabato...
. Again for Charles V, he fought against the Turks at Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
in 1535 and Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
in 1543 with a contingent of 3,000 cavalry. He served Charles as Viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
of Sicily (1535-1546), accompanying the Emperor to Germany in 1543 and fighting the resolute campaign that enforced the Treaty of Crépy. He then served as Governor of the Duchy of Milan (1546-1554).
In 1534 Ferrante married Isabella di Capua, who brought him the fiefdom
Fiefdom
A fee was the central element of feudalism and consisted of heritable lands granted under one of several varieties of feudal tenure by an overlord to a vassal who held it in fealty in return for a form of feudal allegiance and service, usually given by the...
s of Molfetta
Molfetta
Molfetta is a city and comune of the province of Bari in the southern Italian region of Apulia, on the Adriatic coast, at sea-level. It is 25 km WNW of Bari.It has a well restored old city, and its own dialect.- History :...
and Giovinazzo
Giovinazzo
Giovinazzo is a port city situated on the Adriatic coast in the region of Apulia, southern Italy. Giovinazzo lies 18 km WNW of the provincial capital of Bari, and is adjacent to the city ofMolfetta.-History:...
. In 1539 he bought the countship of Guastalla
Guastalla
Guastalla is a town and comune in the province of Reggio Emilia in Emilia-Romagna, Italy.-Geography:Guastalla is situated in the Po Valley, and lies on the banks of the Po River...
, on the left bank of the Po
Po River
The Po |Ligurian]]: Bodincus or Bodencus) is a river that flows either or – considering the length of the Maira, a right bank tributary – eastward across northern Italy, from a spring seeping from a stony hillside at Pian del Re, a flat place at the head of the Val Po under the northwest face...
for 22,280 golden scudi from Countess Ludovica Torelli
Ludovica Torelli
Ludovica Torelli was Countess of Guastalla.She was the only daughter of Achille Torelli, Count of Guastalla, who died in battle at Luzzara in 1522, making her Countess of Guastalla....
; it was in part a strategic purchase, for Guastalla lies near Ferrara, which Charles wished to take from the Este
Este
The House of Este is a European princely dynasty. It is split into two branches; the elder is known as the House of Welf-Este or House of Welf historically rendered in English, Guelf or Guelph...
.
Ferrante's villa near Milan, La Gualtiera, is now known as La Simonetta. Ferrante rebuilt it in the 1550s, commissioning the services of the Tuscan architect Domenico Giuntallodi of Prato. Ferrante was a patron and protector of the sculptor and medallist Leone Leoni
Leone Leoni
Leone Leoni was an Italian sculptor of international outlook who travelled in Italy, Germany, Austria, France, the Spanish Netherlands and Spain. Leoni is regarded as the finest of the Cinquecento medallists. He made his reputation in commissions he received from the Habsburg monarchs Charles V,...
, who executed a bronze medal for him about 1555, with a reverse that depicts Hercules with upraised club besting the Nemean Lion and the legend TV NE CEDE MALIS, "You do not yield to evil", alluding to his acquittal after indictment for misappropriation of funds and corruption. His son Cesare commissioned from Leone a more public monument from Leone, a bronze Triumph of Ferrante Gonzaga over Envy, (1564), which stands in Piazza Roma, Guastalla. Like all the Gonzaga, Ferrante was a patron of tapestry-makers: a series Fructus Belli ("the Fruits of War") was woven for him, and a lighter series of Putti.
He died in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
from a fall from a horse and battle fatigue received at the Battle of St. Quentin
Battle of St. Quentin (1557)
The Battle of Saint-Quentin of 1557 was fought during the Franco-Habsburg War . The Spanish, who had regained the support of the English, won a significant victory over the French at Saint-Quentin, in northern France.- Battle :...
. He was buried in the sacristy of the cathedral of Milan.
Ferrante was succeeded in Guastalla by his son Cesare
Cesare I Gonzaga
Cesare I Gonzaga was count of Guastalla from 1557 until his death. He was a member of the House of Gonzaga, the first-born son of the imperial condottiero Ferrante Gonzaga and Isabella di Capua. From the latter he inherited also the title of Count of Amalfi. He was also Duke of Ariano and Prince...
.
He was the ambassador to Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...